My fiancee and I are purchasing our first house. Our lawyer has messagedto check if we want to take out supplemental conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's appropriate for conveyancing in Castle Vale

The type of Castle Vale conveyancing searches should be triggered based primarily on the property, the location, the likelihood of any of these risks, your familiarity of the locality and risks, your general appetite to risk. What is important is that you properly appreciate what information each search could give you. You may then make a decision if you personally think you need that information. Should you be unsure, ask your lawyer to recommend.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Castle Vale. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Nationwide be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Nationwide your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nationwide. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Nationwide where a lease fails to satisfy these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Castle Vale.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Castle Vale. I have a mortgage agreed with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.

TSB have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a apartment in Castle Vale has been agreed to, what are the next steps?

The estate agent will wish to be advised as to your solicitor's details (be sure the property lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Contact TSB or your financial adviser and finalise any relevant forms. TSB will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to arrange a slot for the valuation to take place. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. TSB will issue the offer to you and your property lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Castle Vale.

My friend advised me that if I am purchasing in Castle Vale I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?

This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Castle Vale conveyancing searches. It is a large report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Castle Vale around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Castle Vale.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Castle Vale before retaining solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor advised that some lenders may not give a loan on this type of house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Castle Vale. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Castle Vale. Conveyancing and The Mortgage Works mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Castle Vale who acted for me is not around. Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Castle Vale conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I acquired a garden flat in Castle Vale, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Castle Vale with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2075

With only 52 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £29,500 and £34,000 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.